Ways to Make Memorial Day Visit to Grand Canyon Easier

The Memorial Day weekend is one of the busiest, most crowded weekends at Grand Canyon National Park, marking the start of the park’s hectic summer season. The crowds and traffic on this weekend can be extremely stressful and irritating for the public. Visitors may be confined to their vehicles for more than an hour as they wait in long lines to get into the facility. After getting in, they may be disappointed to find filled parking lots and packed campgrounds.

National Park Service officials recommend several ways to avoid or minimize these problems. Their recommendations boil down to the fact that a little planning can go a long way toward making a visit to the Grand Canyon the enjoyable experience that people expect.

Officials point out that, as of May 27, the South Rim’s Mother Campground and the North Rim Campground were already sold out for the Memorial Day weekend. However, sites at other campgrounds in the area were still available, including some in Kaibab National Forest and in the town of Tusayan. Many of these campgrounds are available only on a first-come, first-served basis.

One key way to avoid most of the congestion and traffic is to arrive at the park as early as possible—before 9:00 am. Arriving during the peak traffic period from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm virtually guarantees getting stuck in a line of cars for an hour or more.

A wiser option than driving is to park within Tusayan and to take a shuttle bus from the town into the national park. Although shuttle buses may also have to deal with traffic congestion, educational and entertaining presentations on the buses help to keep one’s mind off the wait. People with recreational vehicles or trailers are especially urged to use the shuttle. The use of shuttle buses is also urged for people who drive in through the South Rim entrance, where they can then park and board a shuttle to get around the park.

Drivers can use the faster, pre-paid lanes if they have prepurchased their entrance passes. These passes are available at several establishments in Tusayan, including Best Western Squire Inn, Canyon Plaza Resort, Red Feather Lodge, Grand Canyon Trading Post, Visitor Center, and R.P.’s Stage Shop.

A calendar of events for the busy Memorial Day weekend at Grand Canyon National Park can be accessed at https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/calendar.htm?keyword=&date_start=04%2F29%2F2016&date_end=05%2F31%2F2016&as_sfid=AAAAAAVDqAtXIjvOi7aOdrj2Ma7BJ18NrNVQ7ZFJyoRiNtnO7RsUXRtKVWjcdmmCBbusANqYBu7XgLFpU3QKkUEDHh6g–x2s4EPKISe8b8Z2bTbT04heYXEepK5QkR2BSfg4Lc%3D&as_fid=f21c48179964c7928526eef90a4f44932a44a4fc#.